COMMENTARY: P.E.I. premier best stay off the road to Wellington

Share this Story : PNI Atlantic News Copy Link Email X Reddit Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr

COMMENTARY: P.E.I. premier best stay off the road to Wellington

On the final day of the spring sitting, P.E.I. Premier Rob Lantz told reporters he was looking forward to the day he could drive to Wellington himself, collect Gilles Arsenault, and welcome him back into the Progressive Conservative caucus. Arsenault, the premier said, is a dear friend who did nothing intentionally wrong.

Subscribe now to access this story and more:

Unlimited access to the website and app

Exclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcasts

Full access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists

Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.

Unlimited access to the website and app

Exclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcasts

Full access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on

Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists

Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists

Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.

Access additional stories every month

Share your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting community

Get email updates from your favourite authors

Sign In or Create an Account

“I personally believe there’s nothing criminal there. I look forward to Gilles Arsenault being cleared.”

It was a generous thing to say about a friend. It was also a remarkable thing to say about a man who is, right now, under investigation by the RCMP and awaiting a review by the province’s conflict of interest commissioner. Both of those processes exist because the Lantz government referred them.

Just weeks earlier, the premier removed Arsenault from his ministerial portfolios, suspended him from the PC caucus, and described his conduct as “a serious error of judgment for which he’s been held accountable.” The matter was referred to the police and to the conflict of interest commissioner. Political scientists watching the file called him careful, even cautious, a leader determined to get ahead of a problem rather than wait for it to find him. By........

© PNI Atlantic news